“Moderate aerobic exercise and moderate weight training are both effective for mesomorphs,” Smith says. “They should probably have the clearest idea of what they want from their training. If they want to build muscle, they should focus on weights like ectoplasm. Lose fat. If you want to do that, you need to focus on aerobic exercise like an endomorph.”
To gain muscle, a 500 kcal surplus of high-quality protein and fat per day is recommended, but to lose weight, a 500 kcal deficit per day is about right. “I recommend a fairly balanced diet of 40 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent protein, and 30 percent fat,” Hutchison advises.
“Mesomorphs are often seen as people who are naturally very athletic and can maintain muscle and lean body mass very easily, so fat loss and muscle gain results may be a little easier. However, if a mesomorph wants to do something outside of their comfort zone, training for an appropriate energy system (i.e. lots of aerobic exercise) is essential when training for such an endurance event. It’s important to have enough time to do so,” continues Hutchison. “They also slow themselves down (naturally, they may prefer higher-intensity training), give themselves sufficient recovery time, and maintain a level of muscle mass when performing endurance exercise. I try to continue my strength training.”
“If I wanted to build muscle, I would train mesomorphs, which are very similar to ectomorphs,” Harrison says. “Biomechanically, he might be able to increase his reps per set mark to 12-15.
“You can also have them go slower than ectomorphs, because they have a little more fast-twitch fibers, so they benefit from going a little slower and keeping their muscles under tension a little longer. I guess.”
Therefore, mesomorphs are better off following an endomorph training plan if they want to lose fat, and an ectomorph training plan if they want to gain muscle.
Questions for the experts
Can I have multiple body types?
“The most important thing to note is that everyone has a little bit of everything,” explains Professor Gavin Sandercock, from the School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Science at the University of Essex. “There are extremes, but broadly speaking, most people fall somewhere between each body type and have elements of all three.”
For example, sumo wrestlers might be described as mesomorphic in that they tend to be stockier and fatter than the average person, but must also be muscular. In contrast, the purest example of dysmorphism might be a female catwalk model who is very tall and thin, but even she tends to have some muscle and is somewhat medium-sized. It’s closer to the spectrum of gender dysmorphia.
Body shapes are usually plotted on a triangle with an internal, meso, and external shape at each corner. The majority of people sit near the center of the triangle, usually leaning slightly closer to the variant or endomorph. However, people who do a lot of fitness or sports training lean toward the mid-range end.
